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Pediatric Pharmacotherapy pp 377–396Cite as

Chronic Functional Constipation in Infants and Children

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Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 261))

Abstract

Functional constipation is a common problem among children. The prevalence worldwide is about 3% and it is accounting for about 3–5% of all visits to pediatricians implicating a significant impact on health care cost. In most children presenting with the symptom constipation no underlying medical disease responsible for the symptom can be found; this is the so-called functional constipation. Functional constipation is characterized by infrequent bowel movements, hard and/or large stools, painful defecation, sometimes in combination with fecal incontinence, and is often accompanied by abdominal pain, without evidence of a structural or biochemical explanation.

The recommendation for the management of FC includes a normal intake of fibers and fluids, normal physical activity, and an additional pharmacologic treatment for fecal disimpaction followed by a pharmacologic maintenance therapy.

In infants constipation is treated somewhat differently as compared with children. When constipation presents early in life, the risk of an underlying organic disease is increased compared to older children.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany

    Gunter Flemming

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  1. Gunter Flemming
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Correspondence to Gunter Flemming .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital for Children and Adolescents Center of Paediatric Research Department of Women and Child Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Wieland Kiess

  2. Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Tüebingen, Tüebingen, Germany, Robert Bosch Gesellschaft fuer medizinische Forschung mbH, Stuttgart, Germany

    Matthias Schwab

  3. Children’s Hospital, University of Basel Children’s Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    Johannes van den Anker

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Flemming, G. (2019). Chronic Functional Constipation in Infants and Children. In: Kiess, W., Schwab, M., van den Anker, J. (eds) Pediatric Pharmacotherapy . Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 261. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2019_223

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